Kim Seung-won Allegations Turn into Dispute Over Leak of Han Dong-hoon's Investigation Materials, Sparking Fierce Clash on First Day of Government Questioning

[Financial News] From the first day of the National Assembly's government questioning, allegations that Kim Seung-won, the nominee for justice minister, solicited approval for a new-drug clinical trial clashed head-on with allegations that independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon leaked investigation materials. After the opposition raised additional allegations targeting Kim, the ruling party questioned how Han obtained recordings and other materials he disclosed. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said she would verify whether the investigation materials had been illegally leaked. Other issues, including the second cabinet reshuffle under Yong Hye-in's nomination, the prosecution's supplementary investigative authority, and disputes over Supreme Court justice nominations, also emerged as major battlegrounds between the ruling and opposition parties.

During the National Assembly's government questioning on political affairs on the 9th, Prime Minister Han said, regarding recordings and other materials disclosed by Han in connection with the allegations surrounding Kim, "I will instruct the relevant agencies to thoroughly verify how they were leaked, whether the leak was illegal, and the facts of the matter." She was responding to a demand from Lee Hae-sik of the Democratic Party of Korea to investigate whether confidential investigation materials had been leaked.
Han said, "If confidential investigation materials were leaked and used outside through improper procedures, that would be an extremely serious matter." The allegations surrounding Kim have thus expanded from whether he solicited a favor to the possible leakage of investigation information.
The Democratic Party of Korea also directly targeted Han. Party leader Kim Min-seok called for an investigation and legal action, saying that Han's successive disclosures of recordings would have been difficult without an insider cooperating within the prosecution. Han pushed back, saying, "I have never received materials or anything similar from the prosecution."
Han also raised additional allegations against Kim that day. He claimed Kim knew that a broker surnamed Yang would receive several hundred million won from a pharmaceutical company through methods including investment in convertible bonds, in exchange for soliciting the minister of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to approve a new-drug clinical trial. Han said the case could constitute third-party bribery and called for an investigation by a special counsel. Kim's side has denied the allegations.
The dispute continued that morning at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The committee agreed to hold Kim's confirmation hearing on the 15th, but the ruling and opposition parties clashed over the selection of witnesses. The People Power Party demanded 44 witnesses, including broker Yang, and four reference witnesses, arguing, "There must not be a hollow hearing without witnesses." The Democratic Party of Korea countered that the opposition was reviving an already-closed case based on materials disclosed by Han. The two parties agreed to hold further consultations on the witness list.
Prime Minister Han said, "The allegations concerning Kim must be explained by the nominee through the confirmation hearing."

Controversy surrounding nominee Yong Hye-in is another axis of the dispute over the cabinet reshuffle. Yong has said she will explain at the confirmation hearing the issue of retaining her parliamentary seat and allegations related to her past management of an organization, but even the hearing date has not been set. Voices within the Democratic Party of Korea have also called for her to decide her future. Lawmaker Song Young-gil publicly pressured Yong that day, saying she could eventually risk losing even her parliamentary seat if she did not make the decision herself.
The opposition is linking the issues involving Kim and Yong not merely to allegations against individual nominees but to what it calls a failure of personnel vetting at Cheong Wa Dae. It plans to continue its scrutiny throughout the regular session of the National Assembly over the six-ministry cabinet reshuffle carried out by President Lee Jae Myung on the 30th of last month.
Reform of the criminal justice system is another key issue. With the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency set to launch on the 2nd of next month, the Democratic Party of Korea is emphasizing the completion of prosecution reform, while the People Power Party argues that eliminating the prosecution's supplementary investigative authority entirely could create a larger investigative vacuum. The dispute between Cheong Wa Dae and the judiciary over nominations for justices of the Supreme Court of Korea, as well as the issue of renewed nominations, was also expected to become a major front in the day's government questioning.
Regarding constitutional revision, Prime Minister Han rejected the opposition's claim that an extension of the presidential term or a constitutional amendment introducing a two-term presidency could apply to President Lee Jae Myung. He responded that the Constitution already clearly stipulates that such provisions do not apply to an incumbent president.
Those attending the government questioning that day included Prime Minister Han, Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-su, Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung, and Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. Following the political affairs session, questioning will continue on foreign affairs, unification and security on the 10th; the economy on the 11th; and education, society and culture on the 14th.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter